Eric Holder Admits To First Americans Killed By Drone Strikes

In a letter to Congress (below), AG Eric Holder admitted that the administration deliberately killed American Anwar al-Awlaki (the radical Muslim cleric) in a drone strike in September 2011 adding, as the NY Times reports, "the decision to target Anwar al-Awlaki was lawful, it was considered, and it was just." As RT notes, there was collateral damage, as it has been widely reported but rarely acknowledged in Washington that two other US citizens - Samir Khan, and al-Awlaki's teenage son, Abdulrahman al-Awlaki - were executed in that same Yemen strike. With Holder’s latest admission, however, a fourth American - Jude Mohammed - has also been officially named a casualty of America’s continuing drone war; bringing the total 'known' Americans killed under the US Drone War to 4 since 2009.

One day before President Obama is due to deliver a major speech on national security, his administration on Wednesday formally acknowledged that the United States had killed four American citizens in drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan.

...

The American responsibility for Mr. Awlaki’s death has been widely reported, but the administration had until now refused to confirm or deny it.

The letter also said that the United States had killed three other Americans: Samir Khan, who was killed in the same strike; Mr. Awlaki’s son Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, who was also killed in Yemen; and Jude Mohammed, who was killed in a strike in Pakistan.

...

According to former acquaintances of Mr. Mohammed in North Carolina, he
appears to have been killed in a November 2011 drone strike in South
Waziristan, in Pakistan’s tribal area. Mr. Mohammed’s wife, whom he had
met and married in Pakistan, subsequently called his mother in North
Carolina to tell her of his death, the friends say.

...

“These individuals were not specifically targeted by the United States,” Mr. Holder wrote

“The administration is determined to continue these extensive outreach efforts to communicate with the American people,” continued Holder. “To this end, the president has directed me to disclose certain information that until now has been properly classified..."

...

As part of the vaguely defined ‘War on Terror,’ the US has reportedly waged drone strikes outside of Afghanistan where the Taliban once harbored al-Qaeda. In recent years, those strikes have targeted towns in neighboring Pakistan, as well as Yemen, Somalia and perhaps elsewhere.

But despite growing criticism over escalating use of drones, the president and his office has remained adamant about defending the operations. It’s “important for everybody to understand that this thing is kept on a very tight leash,” Obama said last January, adding that his administration does not conduct "a whole bunch of strikes willy-nilly.”

I'm wondering how many times POTUS's name comes up when the National Counterterrorism Center run their models in the disposition matrix to determine who is a clear and present danger to the security of the US.

Hey Tyler, this is factually incorrect:As RT notes, there was collateral damage, as it has been widely reported but rarely acknowledged in Washington that two other US citizens - Samir Khan, and al-Awlaki's teenage son, Abdulrahman al-Awlaki - were executed in that same Yemen strike.

>> Abdulrahman al-Awlaki was killed in a SEPARATE strike. Very key difference. <<

There was has never been an explanation for why Abdulrahman al-Awlaki was targeted and there still isn't, he was not collateral damage in the strike that killed his father, the son was killed later.

"After Abdulrahman heard the news of Anwar’s death, he called home for the first time and spoke to his mother and grandmother. “That’s enough, Abdulrahman. You have to come back,” his grandmother Saleha told him. “That’s it.”

....

He and his cousins had joined a group of friends outdoors to barbecue. There were a few other people doing the same nearby. It was about 9 pm when the drones pierced the night sky. Moments later, Abdulrahman was dead. So, too, were several other teenage members of his family, including Abdulrahman’s 17-year-old cousin Ahmed"

At least you can get a conservative to question his double-think by arguing principals. Liberal mainstream Obama voters have no principal other than "Support Dear Leader!" and "Progressive Government is Great!" NYT readers are Liberal/Facist boot lickers of the first degree.

You Texans and your bullshit bravado; an attack WORSE than that happened in Texas {remember Ft.Hood?} and the attacker is alive and well. Hasn't even been court marshaled yet. So much for Texas machismo.

That's because 0bozo the Clown is in commander in chief of the military, which is trying the case since it happened in a gun free zone on a federal army base. I didn't think anyone on ZH could be as stupid as you, but I was wrong.

this entire event smells centrally planned... to increase hate, get the public in a war mood (blood lust); more police state.... less rights... btw, Syria is about to break into all out war as the government is defeating the foreign mercs... so cue NATO and the British government calling for arming the rebels (who would be exactly like the guy with cleaver in mentality), and a broader war... it is all tied together.

indeed... i don't expect many upvotes on this topic... people are hard wired it seems to fall for the events that set up for them... 911 was a classic example... the MSM was telling us within the hour that it was osama and the muslims. almost no one questioned the party line, and as a result, millions dead, most of them innocent people... wars around the world, total destruction of the constitution in the U.S., and on it goes... wake up people, its getting pretty late, and something huge is lurking.

consider that the "cleverman" is fallout for a lifetime's policies used on other'd peoples - whether he has a backstory, or is acting "on his own" it's the RE-action of authorities that bears watching. . .@ 17:35,

‘In response to the Woolwich incident, Conbra is being convened. Tom Newton Dunn, The Sun’s political editor, is also reporting that the Met are treating this as a terrorist incident. This means that the terrorism issue, which has dropped down the political agenda in the last few years, will again become a big part of our politics.’

consider that enough ticking time-bombs embedded in a system bent on self-destruction will inevitably see one go off.

"consider that the "cleverman" is fallout for a lifetime's policies used on other'd peoples"

Thats pretty much what Meat Cleaver Man said and what lifetime of policies? He doesn't look a day over thirty to me. He's obviously African descent so where would "his people" be under assault from the British government?

by your logic, you should only be interested in those national policies that happened since you were born.

no need to worry over anything historical, anything that might be part of your "national identity" - no flags waving, no memories of family droned, bombed, incarcerated, abused, etc.

the British have a long history of colonisation, who knows in what way this has affected this man's family.

I'm in no way defending his actions, but seriously, these threads are filled daily with lamentations that reference history - it works both ways, and those being occupied now may have some survivors with family stories, going forward. . .

it's often called blowback.

Speaking in a British accent, the man said: ". . You think David Cameron is going to get caught in the street when we start bussin' our guns? You think politicians are going to die? No it's going to be the average guy, like you, and your children. So get rid of them. Tell them to bring our troops back so you can all live in peace."

sounds like a clear statement fonz - irrespective of his actions, how would it be different if someone in amrka committed a similar action, as is mentioned daily here? how is this different to calls for "removing immigrants" in amrka?

all I'm suggesting is that perhaps his statements can be taken at face value, and in his mind he's acting in a loyal way - whether loyal to a "god" or a "nationstate" - he's identified with something, and sees another thing as an enemy.

it's a really popular way to be in the world lately.

but then, there's always a more complicated viewpoint, involving more sophisticated mind control. . . so many ways to approach what at first seems simple.

Clinton's impeachment was a distraction... A sideshow. This guy has nothing in common with Clinton other than the fact Clinton claimed to be the first black president and the "D" for their party affiliation. This guys followers will support him through anything. Talk to them sometimes they are freaking crazy.

most americans treat politics in the same way they treat football. they pick a team and stick with it no matter what. the only difference is that they know a lot more about football than politics. and that's why we're in the situation we're in.

What if we say instead that we're impeaching America's first radical communist President? Or America's first non-natural-born President? Or America's most corrupt President?

Any of those work better for you? I thought we weren't supposed to care about skin color any more. I certainly don't. He's a bad guy and a bad president, period. I don't care if he's purple or blue or..... as orange as Christine Lagarde.

Lol ....if only. No he won't step down. Just like its raaccccisssst to criticize this guy it will be even more so to impeach him. He's been going to a lot of black colleges lately and reminding them that "he is a black man".

No, it is a waste of my time, lets just stay here bitching about it all

To all my fellow americans, power corrupts and abosolute power corrupts absolutely.. We are witnessing the effects of way too much power concentrated on the person of the President of the USA, nobody should have the power to simultaneously be police, judge, jury and executioner and Eric Holder is basically confessing that they are arrogating this administration this power unchecked.

The chekcs and balances that our system has, which allowed it to last this long, are key to its survival. We should all write VERY angry letters to our Congressional respresentatives requesting that a stop is put to this behaviour of HUBRIS on the part of our government and the unellected officials at the Federal Reserve.

Remember that a full retard banana republic is not compatible absolutely with the most powerful military in the world. So something has to give...

Because they relinquish their American citizenship when their sworn in. All of them.

Search act of 1871.

They don't work for us, that's not their job, yet ignorant ' Mericans keep pulling those voting levers.You deserve what Goernance you get.They work for the Corporate State of 'Merica. NOT The united States. Lower case "u" intentional.

Tell most people that you didn't vote and they will say, "Thousands of Americans died so that you would have the right to vote."

Yeah sure, these guys really went out there and died so that I would have the right to try to pick the lesser of two evils. Wow, thanks for the choice between two people instead of just one. Oh, that's right, one is for abortion and the other is against abortion. I guess my vote really does matter.

I've written to three different Reps and spoken face to face with one. It is totally futile and a complete waste of time and effort. You're better off banging your head against the wall or bitching on here. Only a masochist would continually write their congress asshole.

Here's a Safe Bet: I'll bet you can't come up with a robust/defensible dollar value for the "freedom" you refer to, but I bet you I can come up with a robust/defensible price tag for our endless wars, interventions, entanglements, aid and trafficking.

The disarmed Euro sheep stood by and did nothing. A couple of rednecks would have taken those knives away from that dirt bag and whipped his ass - not stood around and interviewed him while he had blood on his hands.

I'd get used to this McMolotov. I would not imagine too many cowboy scenario's where gun totin good ol boys come to the rescue. We have been kicking the worlds ass for so long I think we are going to realize we are not immune from seeing some of this stuff ourselves.

Well the current military is designed to kill people, especially brownish or yellow people, not protect us or win a war, like it did way back when. When Geo Wash was running things.

In fact the current military is really good at killing Americans already in the military and keeping a war going forever.

Hard to say what kills more military or former military, the VA hospitals, people shooting back or planting bombs, or suicide. My guess would be suicide. Hard to function in PC debt-based society with no arms or leg or half a head and no job.

upvoted you, for going beyond the drama-storyline, and offer this for your consideration,

when using the word "we" it appears as though one is identified with the action/peoples taking the action. . .

I'm guessing you aren't? beyond the superficial birthplace thing - "we" can be avoided by labeling the nationstate policies responsible, taking a step back from claiming personal involvement, aka "cheer-leading" or "voting" on behalf of a team.

To label an Islamic Jihadist an "American" is a bit of a stretch. If you wage war against Western civilization, you are an enemy of the Constitution of the United States and are therefore not an American in any way except perhaps a label.

Being an "American" requires more than just being born in a particular locale.

You are all over the map with your definitions. This results in your comment making no sense whatsoever.

First, an "Islamic Jihadist" is a person who prioritizes one line of thought in one particular religion (of several different possible sects), and who believes in certain tactics to achieve the conformity of others with his thinking. A great example of this would be Pat Robertson calling for the assassination of Hugo Chavez. (Oh, and "jihadist" need not be capitalized, if you are concerned about that kind of thing.)

Second, you seem to equate "Western civilization" with "the United States," since logically, all enemies of the former are enemies of the latter. P=P. Trouble is, "western civilization" started somewhat before the U.S., something like 6,000 years before. Western civilization also pre-dates the Christian religion, which I'm guessing you adhere to. Another point you probably have not considered is that the "western civilization," which I am roughly equating with the agricultural revolution, began in the Fertile Crescent, which means Iraq and Iran, which means that it started where most of your bogeymen live.

Here is your homework assignment, just two problems to solve:

First, read, familiarize yourself with, and state your understanding of the establishment clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Second, read, familiraize yourself with and be prepared to discuss the "natural born Citizen clause in Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution, along with the definition of citizenship set forth in the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

We didn't label an Islamic Jihadist an American. The G-D US government did when it conferred citizenship upon them. While I agree with your sentiment, being an American does NOT require more than being born in a particular locale. though it used to.

Fantastic comment. That really sums it up for me. Laws tend to not work very well when grey-areas are involved. Poor Smitty might one day find out from his government that he in fact is a fiat american. Sorry pal, no real line was ever drawn.

The IMPERIAL president stated during his State of the Union address that our actions are "consistent with our laws and system of checks and balances" but if anyone disagreed would that constitute a failure in the system of checks and balances ?